Package



G. S. FROST May 9, 1939.

PACKAGE Fild Feb. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR G. s. FROST May 9,1939.

PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 1, 1935 lNVE 23 22 5} BY 9 I! a;ATTORNEY Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,157,407 PACKrQGE "GeorgeS. Frost, Baldwin, N. Y.; Theodora. B. Frost executrix of estate of saidGeorge S.

Frost, deceased Application February 1, 1935, Serial No. 4,431

2 Claims.

My invention relates to packages and while it may be usedas a packagefor containing any kind of product, it is particularly advantageous as apackage for holding and protecting pies from the time they are made in abakery to the time they reach the consumer.

The object of my invention is to provide a package including a body orreceptacle having a frusto conical wall near its open end and a coverfor closing the open end made either of one or more pieces, which covermay be attached by simply placing it on the package and pressing it intoplace and the cover is automatically lockedwhen pressed onto the frustoconical flange of-the body. This automatic locking feature makes itunnecessary to use any machine for-closing the package.

Even bakeries having very small. daily productions may use the presentpackage because no machine is required to close the packages and theymay be very rapidly closed by hand. In fact, an operator may close andlock the present packages faster than he or she could feed them to aclosing or stitching machine. The present package is substantially 'airtight and will therefore fully protect the contents from dust andmoisture. A pie placed in my present package will keep for weeks withoutforming mould.

In my co-pending application Serial No. 753,- 283 filed November 16,1934, which matured in Patent No. 2,041,537 there is disclosed a packagehaving an automatic lock for hand closing but the present invention hascertain advantages bothin regard to the manufacture of the package aswell as the effectiveness of its operation.

In the present device I provide means for looking the clamping ringwhich, forms part of the cover onto the frusto conical flange of theplate or receptacle, and in certain forms of the invention I providemeans on the ring to prevent it' from being forced downwardly beyond thelooking position. Other features of my invention will be set forth inthe following detailed description.

- In the drawings forming part'of this applica- Figure 1 is a plan viewof a portion of a pie portion of the ring used in the construction shownin Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing my invention in amodified form,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the material from whichthe ring shown in Figure 5 is derived,

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of a package showing my invention instill another form,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a section of the ring used in theconstruction of Figure 7,

Figure 9 is a sectional view of the portion of the package containing myinvention in still another form, and

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a portion of the ring employed inFigure 9.

I will first describe the form of my invention shown in Figures 1 and 2which form I consider the preferred one. Herein I have shown a containerin the form of a pie plate, preferably made of fibre or pulp in order tobe stiff enough to support'and protect the pie and. at the same time beeconomical in cost so that the entire package may compare favorably withthe cost of other types of packages. This plate is shown as having abottom wall I, anupwardly extending, frusto conical wall 2 forming withthe bottom wall a compartment to receive the article to be contained inthe package, which in the drawings is illustrated as a pie 5.

At the upper edge of the frusto conical wall 2 I have shown an outwardlyand horizontally extending shoulder 3 and around the outer edge of thisshoulder there is an outwardly and downwardly inclining flange 4 whichextends around the package and is of frusto conical shape. This type offlange is shown in my said co-pending application and it forms a part ofthe combination in the present package. This flange, be-

cause of its shape and disposition may be temporarily constricted andclamping ring so that the at its outer free edge 6 squeezed in by thediameter of the flange may be temporarily reduced in the mannerhereinafter described.

In the form of my invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 a portion of thecover consistsof a flexible sheet 1 of transparent material such asCellophaneZwax paper or other thin material of a pliable and transparentnature. This sheet is preferably cut circular if the package is circularand it is disposed across the open end of the package extending acrossthe product contained in the package, also across the shoulder 3, thencedownwardly against the outer surface of the frusto conical flange-4 andits edge is turned inwardly around the free edge 6 of this flange whenthe locking ring is closed on the container.

The locking ring is constructed of edgewise stiff and laterally flexiblesheet material, preferably fibrous material, and shown in Figures 1 and2 as consisting of an annular or cylindrical member 8 of less diameterthan the plate flange 4 and arranged at the inner side of one or bothends with an annular reinforcing and relatively rigid shoulder, andshown as arranged at both ends of the annular member in said Figures 1and 2. These shoulders are formed by turning inwardly the marginal endportions of the member 8, as at 9 and In, one of said reinforcingshoulders, such as 9, which may be turned inwardly to a less extent thanthe shoulder II], is adapted to be engaged below the free edge 6 of theflange 4 and clamping thereto the portion of the sheet Ill turned oversaid edge. The other reinforcing shoulder I0 is adapted to engage andclamp the sheet onthe upper face of the plate flange 4 and I retain thesecuring member upon the plate flange.

Where the inwardly turned portions of the ring are formed by rolling thesame with dies, enlargements of the ring formed by the rolled portionswill be substantial and solid, making the ring as a whole firm and. moreeasily handled.

When assembling a package like that shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pie orother article to be protected by the package is inserted into thechamber of the pie plate. The transparent sheet is then placed acrossthe open side of the package. The ring is then brought down onto thetransparent sheet so that the lower reinforced edge 9 presses on theouter portion of the transparent sheet and againstthe outer surface ofthe frusto conical flange 4. When the clamping ring is first presentedover the package in the manner described, the diameter of the free edge6 of the frusto conical edge of the plate will be slightly greater thanthe perimeter of the shoulder 9 of the clamping ring, the parts beingso.

formed as originally made.

As the clamping ring is pressed downwardly the shoulder 9 causes aninward pressure against the outer side of the frusto conical flange 4 sothat this flange is temporarily bent inwardly and constricted until theshoulder 9 rides over the flange to position below the free edge 6 ofthe frusto conical flange and as soon as this occurs, the flange due toits inherent springiness springs outwardly to its original position, thefree edge 6 passing over and into position behind the shoulder 9 intoengagement with the body or member 8, as shown in Figure 2. As theclamping ring is moved to position with the shoulder 9 below the edge ofthe plate flange 4 the shoulder Ill engages the sheet 1 upon the outersurface of the plate flange 4, and as said flange engages the body ofthe clamping member 8 under the inherent tension thereof it exerts anupward force upon the shoulder l0 yieldingly urging it upwardly andthereby the shoulder 9 into firm engagement with theedge of the plateflange 4.

Without the upper shoulder III on the clamping ring, the latter might bepressed downwardly either at certain portions or throughout, causing thering to pass below the frusto conical flange 4,

thereby defeating the purpose of the ring. However, with the shoulder H!at the upper edge of the clamping ring of a diameter which causes it toengage upon the outer surface of the frusto conical flange 4 theshoulder prevents the clamping ring from being moved downwardly beyondthe desired locking position.

To remove the annular or ring member it from the container flange topermit removal of the covering sheet I downward pressure is applied tosaid member 8, the shoulder H! at the top of said member forming a camsurface and by the pressure applied to the annular member constrictingand squeezing in the container flange and permitting said shoulder toride off from the container flange.v

In Figures 3 and 4 I have shown a modified form in which the shouldersdo not contact directly with the frusto conical flange, but upon theportion 3 of the plate. In this case the plate is the same as the plateshown in Figure 2. The locking ring consists of the annular member i2,the upper edge of which is turned inwardly as at I3 and the lower edgeis turned inwardly as shown at H, preferably to a less extent than theportion l3. When the sheet I is V placed over the plate and pie, thelower inturned portion 14 is passed downwardly until it rides over thefree edge 6 of the flange of the plate. At this time the upper shoulder[3 comes to rest against the sheet 1 and against the portion 3 of theplate instead of directly against the frusto conical flange. In thisconstruction the ring is locked against upward movement due to theinherent tension of the plate flange 4 to spring outwardly by the lowershoulder 14 engaging the edge of the flange and it is locked againstdownward move- 'ment by the upper shoulder l3 pressing against theportion 3 of the plate.

In Figures 5 and 6 I have shown another form of my invention ,and onewhich may be produced at a very low cost by machinery now in generaluse. The plate shown in this form of the invention is the same as thatshown in Figure 2, and theparts are similarly numbered. The transparentsheet is also spanned across the open top of the plate and extends downand around the frusto conical flange 4.

The locking ring in this construction consists of a strip of corrugatedboard which may be produced in the form shown in Figure 6 on an ordinarymachine for making corrugated board. I

extending in parallel lines and projecting outwardly from the backingsheet l5 to form raised projections. The sheet shown in Figure 6 will becut into strips, each strip having at least two of the corrugations 11extending lengthwise thereof and the strips are formed into circles orhoops with the ends attached so as to make an endless, annular member asshown in Figure 5. This type of ring is applied in the same manner asthose previously described; that is to say, the ring is moved downwardlyagainst the outer portion of the transparent sheet and against thefrusto conical flange '4 so that one of the corrugated projections I1presses the free edge 6 of the frusto conical flange inwardly until thiscorrugated projection escapes past the lower free edge of the flange 4,whereupon the flange springs back into its original shape and the edgelies between the two corrugated projections of the ring, as shown inFigure 5, the clamping ring functioning in a manner set forth inconnection with Figures 1 and 2, the inherent resiliency of the plateflange tending to urge it outwardly exerting a force on the shoulder I1that tends to move it upwardly and thereby bringing the shoudler l1 intoengagement with the edge of the plate flange 4.

The ring is thus automatically locked on the plate, with one corrugatedprojection lying below and engaging the free edge of the flange 4 andthe other resting on the flange above so that the two corrugatedprojections lock the ring against upward and downward movement. Asstated above, this form of ring is very inexpensive to make and wellknown corrugating machinery can be used for making the ring.

In Figures 7 and B I have shown another form of the invention. In thiscase the plate and transparent sheet are the same as before. The ringconsists of a strip of material ID of annular shape the same as theannular member 8 in Figures 1 and 2.

One edge of this strip is folded twice to form an inturned shoulder E9of double thickness and the opposite edge is turned inwardly and foldedtwice to form the'double thickness shoulder 20 which isparallel with theupper shoulder. This may be eifected by rolling the opposite endportions of the member 8 inwardly and'then flatten the same by pressure.In this case the ring is pressed onto the flange of the plate in thesame manner as described in connection with the other form of theinvention. When the lower shoulder 20 is moving downwardly the free edgeof the flange 4 is temporarily sprung inwardly until the shoulder 20passes the free edge of the flange 4, whereupon the flange assumes itsoriginal dimensions and the free edge is locked between the upper andlower shoulders of the ring as described in connnection with thearrangement of Figures 1 and 2. There are known machines adapted fordouble folding the edge of the strip which forms the ring in thisconstruction.

In Figures 9 and I have shown another modification resemblirg somewhatthe one shown in Figures 7 and 8. In this form the plate and transparentsheet are shown as corresponding with the previous forms. The lockingring in this case consists of an annular wall 2| having one edge foldedinwardly upon itself to form the shoulder 22 and having its lower edgefolded inwardly once to form the shoulder 23. The portion of the ringintermediate the shoulders is pressed outwardly to form the corrugation24. In this case when the ring is pressed into position the lowershoulder 23 passes over the free edge of the flange and this free edgethen springs outwardly so that it lies between the upper and lowerprojections and partly in the corrugation 24 and functioning in themanner of the ring shown in Figures 1 and 2. This type of ring may beproduced by single inward folds at top and bottom which will bethickenough in view of the fact that part of the free edge of the flangeextends into the corrugation 24.

In the different forms of the invention the transparent sheet is pressedagainst the plate at two different places, to wit, the one ring shoulderpressing the sheet against the surface of the flange 4, and the othershoulder clamping the sheet against the-edge 6 of the plate flange. Thisforms a double protection against the entrance of dust or moisture intothe package.

In all forms of the invention I provide either a one or two piece coverfor a receptacle having a frusto conical flange, which latter is capableof being momentarily pressed inwardly to a lesser diameter, so that thecover or ring may be applied to the package by simply pressing itdownwardly thereon into locking engagement with the flange of thereceptacle. This eliminates the necessity of using any type of stitchingor gluing machine for closing the package and it eliminates thenecessity of using metal in the construction of the article. The inwardprojection at the upper edge of the ring prevents the ring from beingmoved downwardly beyond the locking position so that the ring is morefirmly held in every direction upon the package and there is nolikelihood of the ring being pressed entirely over the flange. M

Having described my invention, what I claim is: 1. A display and storagepackage comprising an Open top container having an outwardly extendingand downwardly inclining resilient annular peripheral flange, a sheet oftransparent flexible material spanning the top and flange of thecontainer, and means to clamp said sheet to the container flangecomprising an annular continuous member of edgewise stiff sheet materialof less diameter than the container flange and having relatively rigid,continuous, annular, spaced and inwardly extending shoulders on theinner side thereof, said member being adapted to be applied to thecontainer flange to clamp the sheet thereto by engaging the annularmember upon the container flange and pressing downwardly thereon toconstrict and squeeze in the flange and cause one shoulder on theannular member to pass over the edge of the container flange, and saidcontainer flange by the resiliency thereof springing over said shoulderand engaging the interior of the annular member between said shoulderand the other shoulder, and said latter shoulder forming a cam surfacefor permitting the removal of the annular member by pressure applied tosaid memher to constrict and squeeze in the container 2. A package asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the shoulders on the annular member consistof inwardly rolled beads at the top and bottom of the annular member.

GEORGE S. FROST.

